Former Marquette Head Basketball Coach Tom Crean will be announced as the new basketball coach at Indiana University this morning and it seems that excitement is running rampant around the IU Program once again. There is so much to talk about and so many questions that need to be answered about the program, but let's focus on the good for right now.
Tom Crean is the best candidate that IU could have hired. Period. End of Sentence. I don't know who is going to take responsibility for the hiring and I'm not really sure how they were able to get it done but......this was the major hire that IU needed. Sure, Crean doesn't have the name value of Bruce Pearl or Rick Pitino, but he runs a clean program and his players graduate (89% rate at Marquette). Crean and his staff are one of the hardest working groups in college basketball and based on the interview I saw last night of Crean.....he knows, understands and is going to embrace the IU tradition. You should lay your head down tonight for bed and feel good about the IU Program.
As for his coaching......he's good. I could talk about his coaching record and all of that but instead I'll give you a little rundown of a conversation I had with valued commenter Mack last night. Mack was at Marquette when they made their Final Four run and knows all the ins and outs of college basketball. He said (not verbatim) that Crean's players pretty much loved to hate him. They hated how hard Crean and his staff made them work, but they loved the results in their play. His teams play hard, run a nice offense and play in your face defense. The people around the Marquette Program seemed to highly value Crean as he was well liked and willing to make friends not only at Marquette but also in the community. These are things that IU needed in this hire.
As for his recruiting......have you ever heard of Dwyane Wade? Maybe you know Steve Novak or Dominic James? Crean can recruit. Crean can recruit Indiana. Crean can recruit Chicago. Crean is going to give Purdue's Matt Painter a run for his money in the Midwest. He's going to recruit players who want to be at IU and he's going to recruit players who are going to graduate from IU. This is going to be of vital importance over the next few seasons as he
works to re-establish IU as a national powerhouse after everything that
happened this season. He's going to have to re-recruit the players already on IU's roster (and those who've been booted) and I wouldn't put it past him to......try to keep Eric Gordon in Bloomington for another season.
Even with all of these questions....there are many more to come. Still, this is a good day to be a Hoosier fan as it looks like IU will be back in the spotlight, for good reasons, very soon.
I'm hoping that us fans give Crean a fair shake at the beginning. It's not going to be easy for the first year at least and the fans need to realize this. I think Crean will get this thing turned around.
Also...will Crean put Ellis and Bassett back on the team? What are everyone's thoughts?
Crean traditionally hasn't brought in JUCO players very often, if at all, so it may take him a year to get it all together.
I think whether or not Bassett and Ellis get back on the team is up to them. If they come in, are willing to work and shut up.....I think they'll stay. I don't think Crean is going to put up with much crap
I would think Crean will give them another chance. Of course he will have to sit down with them and have a lengthy discussion.
Of course there would have to be stipulations.
1) You work your ass off everyday.
2) You DO NOT question me or my authority.
3) You DO NOT miss classes.
4) You get involved with the community and fans to win back their approval.
Those are just a few things I think they would have to do in order to remain on the team.
gianluca
said
what will they do with Dakich? Do the insiders think anything will really happen with NCAA sanctions?
I saw an earlier story yesterday Kevin O'Neill was leaving Arizona and figured he was the next coach at IU. He's be the former Marquette I wish IU got as they would have sucked and PSU would have another victory at home against them - they still may. I had hoped for a few down years but this is an amazing hire.
I believe Dakich will still be offered a job in the Athletic Department but what job that will be....? I'm sure Crean will, for the most part, want to bring in his own guys.
People are saying that IU might lose a scholarship but they won't lose any NCAA tourney rights.
O'Neill is kind of interesting to me because I always thought he was a real......dipshit. Then I saw some documentary that he was in (not Hoop Dreams) where he was really busting his butt. I guess he's supposed to be a great hands-on coach and recruiter. I hear the Illinois job might open up if Weber wants to move to Marquette so maybe O'Neill will slide over there.
I don't know much about the talent level in high schools in Wisconsin, is it good? I see Marquette had three WI guys on their team this past season but only Matthews did much. Also had four kids from Illinois and another three from NY on the roster.
The talent level is different in that part of the country. Look at Minnesota, Wisconsin, North and South Dakota. Usually white boys that are big or they can shoot, or both.
Wisconsin has 11 players from WI, 2 from MN, 1 from SD, 1 from Iowa, and then Hughes from NY.
Looked at the rest of the Big Ten rosters. Didn't see one player from WI on another team.
Hoosiernation
said
Dakich was guaranteed a position with same salary within IU. Not sure of the extent of it. I say a good hire from the fact that we all thought they would screw this up. Thus, our expectations were really low and they actually made a good decision. The more I thought about this hire the better the fit seems to be.
Excellent, excellent hire. Doubt they could have legitimately pulled anyone better at this stage. That press conference was off the hook, too...I'm sitting here in Miami and I was all ready to go buy season tickets.
How is it that I went to grad school and got 1 1/2 years of Mike Davis and then a year of Sampson? Life is not fair. vbg
As for Basset and Ellis...I think it's time to cut the cord. Bassett has been a troublemaker all season and Ellis is...well, Ellis.
2008 Cubs Preview
I'm hoping that us fans give Crean a fair shake at the beginning. It's not going to be easy for the first year at least and the fans need to realize this. I think Crean will get this thing turned around.
Also...will Crean put Ellis and Bassett back on the team? What are everyone's thoughts?
Crean traditionally hasn't brought in JUCO players very often, if at all, so it may take him a year to get it all together.
I think whether or not Bassett and Ellis get back on the team is up to them. If they come in, are willing to work and shut up.....I think they'll stay. I don't think Crean is going to put up with much crap
I would think Crean will give them another chance. Of course he will have to sit down with them and have a lengthy discussion.
Of course there would have to be stipulations.
1) You work your ass off everyday.
2) You DO NOT question me or my authority.
3) You DO NOT miss classes.
4) You get involved with the community and fans to win back their approval.
Those are just a few things I think they would have to do in order to remain on the team.
what will they do with Dakich? Do the insiders think anything will really happen with NCAA sanctions?
I saw an earlier story yesterday Kevin O'Neill was leaving Arizona and figured he was the next coach at IU. He's be the former Marquette I wish IU got as they would have sucked and PSU would have another victory at home against them - they still may. I had hoped for a few down years but this is an amazing hire.
A week or two ago IU guaranteed Dakich a position for 2009.
I doubt he will be on the coaching staff. I don't know how a new coach coming in would allow a school to pick one of their assistant coaches.
I'm guessing he goes back to director of basketball operations, or whatever he was doing prior to joining the coaching staff.
I believe Dakich will still be offered a job in the Athletic Department but what job that will be....? I'm sure Crean will, for the most part, want to bring in his own guys.
People are saying that IU might lose a scholarship but they won't lose any NCAA tourney rights.
O'Neill is kind of interesting to me because I always thought he was a real......dipshit. Then I saw some documentary that he was in (not Hoop Dreams) where he was really busting his butt. I guess he's supposed to be a great hands-on coach and recruiter. I hear the Illinois job might open up if Weber wants to move to Marquette so maybe O'Neill will slide over there.
Don't forget that Crean can recruit Wisconsin as well and that Bo Ryan hates his guts. Adds a little more spice to playing Wisconsin now.
Pretty good hire. I think we can all settle down a little now!
I don't know much about the talent level in high schools in Wisconsin, is it good? I see Marquette had three WI guys on their team this past season but only Matthews did much. Also had four kids from Illinois and another three from NY on the roster.
The talent level is different in that part of the country. Look at Minnesota, Wisconsin, North and South Dakota. Usually white boys that are big or they can shoot, or both.
Wisconsin has 11 players from WI, 2 from MN, 1 from SD, 1 from Iowa, and then Hughes from NY.
Looked at the rest of the Big Ten rosters. Didn't see one player from WI on another team.
Dakich was guaranteed a position with same salary within IU. Not sure of the extent of it. I say a good hire from the fact that we all thought they would screw this up. Thus, our expectations were really low and they actually made a good decision. The more I thought about this hire the better the fit seems to be.
Crean N' Crimson
He's killing the press conference!
Excellent, excellent hire. Doubt they could have legitimately pulled anyone better at this stage. That press conference was off the hook, too...I'm sitting here in Miami and I was all ready to go buy season tickets.
How is it that I went to grad school and got 1 1/2 years of Mike Davis and then a year of Sampson? Life is not fair. vbg
As for Basset and Ellis...I think it's time to cut the cord. Bassett has been a troublemaker all season and Ellis is...well, Ellis.